Port Penn in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Cannery Lot
Opportunity from Change
— The Village of Port Penn —
The W.B. & J.S. Zacheis, Inc. cannery operation stood across the street from the schoolhouse from the early 1900s until after World War II. When the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal and the railroad diverted most commercial shipping away from the area, local businesses adapted by packaging agricultural products for export. Peaches, tomatoes and other produce were processed, canned and exported to markets in Philadelphia, Baltimore and beyond. The cannery was a major employer in Port Penn for almost half a century.
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Local Goods, Global Markets
In the changing economy of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, small towns looked for ways to survive. Port Penn's livelihood depended on exporting local agricultural goods to major markets miles away. The cannery and other export operations connected Port Penn's economy to trade networks throughout the country and the world.
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Port Penn's history as a working town greatly influenced the village's identity. Cannery workers were important wage-earners in Port Penn's economy. Many citizens worked in other labor-intensive occupations such as water work and farming.
Erected by The Village of Port Penn. (Marker Number 2.)
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Location. 39° 31.041′ N, 75° 34.77′ W. Marker is in Port Penn, Delaware, in New Castle County. Marker is at the intersection of Market Street and Liberty Street, on the right when traveling west on Market Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Port Penn DE 19731, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Port Penn Schoolhouse (a few steps from this marker); Village of Port Penn (within shouting distance of this marker); Canary-Naudine House & Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Webb-Jefferson House (within shouting distance of this marker); Mary Stewart-Cox House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Samuel Carpenter House (about 300 feet away); Thomas Cleaver House (about 400 feet away); Site of Margaret Darrach House (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Port Penn.
More about this marker.
Photographed By William Pfingsten, August 17, 2008
2. The Cannery Lot Marker
This is a previous iteration of the marker. Formatting is slightly different, but the information is identical.
Center Photo Port Penn cannery workers shortly after the turn of the century. Front row, from left: Anna Ribason, Ruth Shelton, Lillian Wuillen, Alice Saxton, Lizzie Shelton, Hattie Yearsley, Clifford Bendler and Fred Dyer. Middle row: Lottie Collins, William Dyer, Blanche Yearsley, Minnie Voshell, Sadie Conard, Anna McMunn, Earl Easton, Warren Voshell and Ward Right. Third row: Ella Johnson, Lizzie Johnson, Conard Dyer, Claude Voshell, Frank Moore, William Ellis and Samuel Kershaw. At rear: Harry Eaton and Calvin Stedham.
Photographed By William Pfingsten, August 17, 2008
4. Field where the cannery once stood.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 17, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 17, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,945 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 6, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on August 17, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3. submitted on June 6, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on August 17, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.
